Marking guide



M. R. GREER MARKING GUIDE Jan. 16, 1968 I Filed Oct. 3, 1966 MILES R. GREER INVENTOR Mylo 4% A TTORNEVS United States Patent 3,363,319 MARKING GUIDE Miles R. Greer, 31335 Road 160, Visalia, Calif. 93277 Filed Oct. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 583,801 Claims. (Cl. 33-76) ABSTRAQT OF THE DISCLOSURE A marking guide for constructing graphs and the like on a substantially fiat plate providing an elongated blade in superimposed elevationally spaced relation to the plate for constraining a suitable marking instrument thereon and a resilient support member on the blade in sliding engagement with the plate normally to support said blade in said elevationally spaced relation to the plate and being collapsible to permit movement of the blade toward said plate to dispose the marking member in a marking position against the plate incident to the imposition of a suitable force against the blade.

Various types of graph sheets, record charts and the like are employed by businessmen, engineers, and other professional people to chart the progress of their respective sales, tests and other programs. Insurance salesmen have found it helpful to employ graphs which may be constructed during a sales presentation immediately to illustrate the features of the policy being presented. For example, a blank sheet of lined graph paper is utilized having horizontal and vertical increments of division. The salesman consults his rate book and determines the annual premium for a particular policy for the individual purchaser. The amount of the annual premium is calibrated on the vertical scale and a horizontal line is drawn across the sheet corresponding to the number of payment years which are read along the horizontal scale of the graph. A corresponding number of vertical lines of a particular color is then constructed between the zero year and the maximum premium payment period on the horizontal scale. The rate book is then again consulted to determine the annual income in the form of savings earned in each of the successive years of investment of the annual premium. These figures are charted by drawing vertical lines of a contrasting color along the vertical premium lines which, after a predetermined number of years, exceed the annual premium and extend upwardly beyond the premium lines. Accordingly, the amount of profit from the policy is graphically illustrated to the purchaser in a manner not possible by merely inspecting the column of figures in the insurance salesmans rate book.

Various types of chart constructing boards, drafting boards and the like are utilized which usually consist of a flat rectangular board on which a T-square is employed as a straight edge. Such devices, however, are not readily adaptable for portable use during sales presentations in the prospects homes and the like. The T-square is easily detachable and difficult to maintain in precise perpendicular relation to the edge of the board against which the T-head portion of the square is disposed. The relatively large T-head is also cumbersome and diflicult to manipulate when the T-square is used for constructing angular lines on the sheet of graph paper.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved marking guide for constructing graphs and the like.

Another object is to provide such an improved marking guide which is capable of accurately and conveniently constraining a marking instrument in a variety of marking positions.

Another object is to provide a marking guide which in- "ice cludes a marking instrument positioning element which aifords a plurality of individually selectable marking positions for a marking instrument.

Another object is to provide a marking guide in which the positioning element is disposed for sliding movement in precise parallel relation to a pair of predetermined edges of the guide.

Another object is to provide a marking guide wherein the constraining element is easily and conveniently installed and removed from the guide for constructing angular lines.

Another object is to provide a marking instrument in which the constraining element is disposed in elevationally spaced relation on the guide to minimize smudging of the graph during movement of the element.

Another object is to provide a marking guide which includes a resiliently depressible marking instrument constraining element for movement to a selected marking position.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will subsequently become more clearly apparent upon reference to the following description and accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a marking guide embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the marking guide of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary section through the mounting head portion of the marking guide.

FIG. 4 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of a mounting end of the marking instrument constraining blade of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the mounting end of the marking instrument constraining blade of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary transverse section showing the end of the blade opposite to the mounting end supported in spaced relation above the blade of the marking guide.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the blade depressed against its support member by a marking instrument extended threthrough.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a marking guide embodying the principles of the present invention provides a substantially rectangular graph sheet mounting plate 10 having predetermined oppositely spaced substantially parallel upper and lower edges 11 and 12, respectively, and oppositely spaced substantially parallel inner mounting and outer edges 14 and 15, respectively. The plate is constructed of any suitable lightweight sheet material such as aluminum, hard plastic, or the like and includes substantially fiat upper and lower surfaces 17 and 18, respectively. A pair of graph mounting studs 20 are upwardly extended from the upper surface 17 of the plate adjacent to the upper edge 11 thereof. A pair of foot pads 22 are disposed on the lower surface 18 of the plate at the corners adjacent to the outer edge 15 and respectively adjacent to the upper and lower edges 11 and 12.

The marking guide further includes an elongated head member 25 which has spaced substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces 26 and 27, respectively, providing a thickness substantially greater than the thickness of the plate 10. The head member further includes inner and outer edges 28 and 29, respectively, the latter of which provides a notched corner 30 along the lower surface 27. The inner mounting edge 14 of the plate 10 is received within the notched corner. of the head member to dispose their lower surfaces in substantially flat coplanar relation. The head member and plate are secured in such position by a pair of spaced rivets 32.

An elongated strip 35 of resilient sponge rubber material is disposed Within an elongated slot 36 coextensively related with the outer edge 28 of the head member 25. The resilient strip provides a lower textured gripping surface 38 extended somewhat below the lower surface 27 of the head member in spaced substantially coplanar relation with the foot pads 22 on the plate 10. Accordingly, when the marking guide is disposed on a flat or even an inclined support surface, the gripping surface of the strip tends to resist inadvertent sliding of the marking guide relative to the support surface. An elongated groove 40 is formed in the upper surface 26 of the head member in substantially parallel coextensive relation intermediate the inner and outer edges 28 and 29, respectively, and has corresponding inner and outer side walls 41 and 42.

An elongated marking instrument constraining or positioning blade 45 is adapted to be disposed in superimposed relation to the upper surface 17 of the plate 10. The blade includes an inner mounting end 46 and an opposite distal end 47. The blade further includes spaced substantially parallel predetermined upper and lower surfaces 52 and 53, respectively. The inner mounting end 46 of the blade is rested in sliding relation upon the upper surface 26 of the head member 25 with the blade outwardly extended therefrom in spaced substantially parallel relation to the upper surface 17 of the plate 10.

The marking instrument constraining blade 45 is maintained in precise right-angular extension from the groove 40 in the head member 25 by an elongated guide bar 55 secured to the blade by a pair of screws 56. The bar is slidably disposed within the groove. The guide bar provides a pair of longitudinally spaced slide pads 57 which are adapted slidably to engage the outer side wall 42 of the groove 40. The guide bar further includes an opposite outwardly arcuate edge 58 which is made resilient by the formation of an elongated arcuate slot 59 in the guide bar closely adjacent thereto which leaves a relatively thin section between the outer arcuate edge and the slot. The arcuate edge 58 is adapted slidably to engage the inner side wall 41 of the groove in substantially point contact to form a relatively stable triangular engagement of the guide bar with the sides of the groove by maintaining the slide pads 57 in substantially flat facing engagement with the outer side wall 42. The mounting end of the plate is also secured to the guide bar by an upwardly extended manipulating knob 60 having a lower screw-threaded portion extended through the plate and the guide bar.

A plurality of marking isntrument receiving holes 62 are formed through the blade 45 in predetermined spaced relation between the opposite mounting and distal ends 46 and 47, respectively, of the blade. It is apparent that the holes may be disposed in any pattern as may be required for making the desired lines on a sheet of graph paper of the like. It is noted that the representative hole arrangement shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings provides a continuous stepped progression of possible marking locations substantially entirely across the working area of a sheet of graph paper65 on the guide. The graph paper has a pair of spaced holes 66 aligned with the locating studs 20 accurately to position the paper on the plate 10. Each of the marking instrument constraining holes 62 of the blade includes a lower portion '68 and an upperchamfered portion 69.

A marking instrument of the form indicated by the reference numeral 72 in FIG. 7 is adapted to be employed with the marking guide of the present invention. Such marking instrument provides a lower marking element 73 extended from an upper barrel 74 providing a shoulder ZSIengageable with the upper chamfered portion 69 of the The outer distal end 47 of the blade 45 is supported by a resilient support assembly generally indicated by the reference numeral 80. The support assembly includes an elongated inverted V-shaped strap or leaf spring 82 of resiliently flexible material which has an apex portion 83 secured to the lower surface 53 of the blade by a rivet 84.

The strap provides oppositely diverging leg portions 86 terminating in arcuate foot portions 87 slidably engaging the upper surface 17 of the plate 10. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the support assembly 80 normally disposes and maintains the blade in the desired spaced substantially parallel relation to the plate 10 for sliding reciprocal movement of the blade between the upper and lower edges 11 and 12 of the plate.

OPERATION The operation of the described embodiment of the subject invention is believed to be clearly apparent and is briefly summarized at this point. A sheet of the graph paper 65 is disposed on the plate 10 with the studs 20 extended through the holes 66 accurately to locate the sheet of graph paper with respect to the plate and to the marking instrument constraining blade 45. The blade is then disposed in superimposed relation to the sheet of graph paper on the plate by forcing the guide bar into the grorove 40 in the head member 25. During the introduction of the guide bar into the groove, it is noted that the resilient arcuate edge 58 of the guide bar is somewhat depressed thereafter to provide a force disposing the slide pads 57 in intimate sliding engagement with the outer side wall 42 of the groove. The guide bar and connected blade are able easily to slide along the head member by the substantially point contact provided in the arcuate edge 58 and similar point contact provided by the foot portions 87 of the support assembly 80 against the upper surface 17 of the plate 10.

The marking instrument 72 is utilized to construct the desired lines upon the sheet of graph paper by introducing the marking element 73 thereof through the lower portion 68 of the selected hole 62 in the blade 45. However, with the blade disposed in its normally elevated position of FIG. 6 the marking element 73 is maintained in spaced relation to the sheet of graph paper. This enables the blade 45 to be slidably manipulated by the application of a suitable force against the marking instrument accurately to position the marking instrument in the desired location on the sheet of graph paper. When such location is attained, a force is exerted downwardly against the blade 45 by engagement of the shoulder of the writing instrument with the chamfered portion 69 of the selected hole to lower the blade and the marking element 73 downwardly toward the sheet of graph paper.

Such movement is permitted by the resilient support assembly by movement of the legs 86 to the substantially straight collapsed position of FIG. 7 to bring the marking element into marking engagement with the sheet of graph paper. A line may then be constructed such as that indicated by the reference numeral 90 in FIG. 1, for the desired vertical distance along the paper. When the desired length of line is obtained, the force on the marking instrument is relieved automatically to permit expansion of the support assembly 80 to return the blade 45 to the position shown in FIG. 6 elevated from the plate 10. If ink or other wet line marking material is employed, it is apparent that the graph blade 45 may be immediately moved relative to the graph paper with no danger of smearing the line just constructed. Furthermore, additional lines may be immediately constructed corresponding to the number of holes 62 which are provided in the blade 45 with no smudging. It is also significant that the use of the marking guide of the present invention is not limited to the form of marking instrument shown at 72 in the drawings but may utilize any marking device having a marking element extendible through the holes 62 in the blade. If no shoulder is provided by the particular marking instrument, the blade may be depressed by the finger of the operator rested on the instrument adjacent to the selected hole.

In view of the foregoing, it is readily apparent that the present invention has provided an improved marking guide for constructing graphs and the like which effectively maintains the marking instrument constraining blade in precise parallel relation on the, graph paper support plate while permitting free movement of the constraining blade with substantially no binding or rocking of the blade relative 'to the paper. The blade is dependably positionable between its non-marking and marking positions. This enables the blade to be immediately moved and subsequent lines constructed without smudging previously constructed lines.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claim so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A marking guide tor constructing graphs and the like com-prising a substantially flat plate having an edgewardly mounted head member providing an elongated groove; an elongated blade having a mounting end sup ported on said head member of the plate and extended therefrom in superimposed elevationally spaced relation to the plate, said blade tenminating in a distal end and having a plurality of holes disposed in predetermined spaced arrangement between said ends of the blade adapted to constrain a suitable marking instrument on the blade; (a) an elongated guide bar having longitudinally spaced slide portions secured to said mounting end of the blade being slidab'ly receivable within said groove of the head member of the plate and including an elongated rarcuately slotted resilient portion in opposed triangular relation to said slide portions providing a force to resist rocking of the blade during said sliding movement of the blade along the plate; and resilient support means nonrotatably mounted on said distal end of the blade in sliding engagement with said plate normally to support said blade in said elevationally spaced relation to the plate and being collapsible to permit movement of the blade toward said plate to dispose the marking instrument in a marking position against the plate incident to the imposition of a suitable force against the blade.

2. The marking guide of claim 1 in which said blade includes a plurality of holes therethrough disposed in predetermined spaced arrangement between said ends thereof, and a marking instrument individually selectively extendible through said holes for engagement with the plate.

3. The marking guide of claim 2 wherein said marking instrument provides a marking element selectively extendible through said holes in the blade and a shoulder portion engageable with the blade through which said force is transmitted against the blade to collapse said support means and to dispose the marking element of the marking instrument in said marking position against the plate.

4. The marking guide of claim 3 in which said resilient support means comprises an inverted V-shaped leaf spring having spaced arcuate foot portions slidably engageable with the plate.

5. The marking guide of claim 4 wherein said groove includes opposite spaced substantially parallel inner and outer sides, and said guide bar provides an elongated body having longitudinally spaced pads slidably engageable with said outer side of the groove and including an elongated arcuately slotted resilient portion disposed intermediate said pads being disposed in compressible sliding relation against the opposite inner side of the groove in triangular relation to said pads to maintain said pads in substantially flat facing sliding engagement with their respective side of the groove so as to maintain said blade in precise right angular relation to the groove.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 

